Through the Broken Veil
by DepartingSorrows
Summary: AU. Kairi has never fit in, and she fears she never will. But, she moves to Destiny Islands, and she's accepted there. Though, she also learns of her abilities as a Necromancer, and the awakening of the demon Vanitas may just spell the destruction of the world. To protect her new-found friends and home, Kairi will do anything to stop Vanitas - even resurrect his last victim, Sora.
1. Prologue: Bury Me Alive

**Author's Note****: See this little thing here? Yeah. This is me being crazy. I have too many other fics to do, and I'm starting a new one? Yeepppp… I'm crazy. Crazy crazy crazy. But oh well. I need this to get over my writer's block. **

**Wee! A ghost story! Well… Not really. But kinda….**

… **Just read it and you'll get what I mean. **

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Kingdom Hearts! It is owned by Square Enix and Disney.**

**Claimer****: I own this idea.**

_~OoO~_

**Prologue:**

**Bury Me Alive**

May 6, 1981

_The house was saturated with the stench of fresh blood, Xion realized as she entered the oak door, immediately causing her heart to fly to her throat. She hesitated, her hand still gripping the doorknob. Her deep blue eyes were wide, frightened, unwilling to accept. It was quiet – only interrupted by someone frantically breathing, desperately trying to cling to life._

_ "Oh, God, please no…" Xion pleaded, threw her school bag to the side, then ran to the source of the breathing. _

_ What Xion saw when she skidded around the corner to their living room, heart pounding, would haunt her memories for the rest of her life. _

_ "Sora!"_

_ And there was her precious twin brother, leaning painfully against the over-turned sofa, seeming like he'd giving up on trying to stop his bleeding. His slim body was riddled with vicious gashes, many of which were still bleeding profusely. His spiked brown hair was a mess, matted, and looked black in places because of dried blood. His eyes were closed, and Xion feared he was dead, but she saw him take a shuddering breath – he was alive, at least for now. _

_Trying to swallow the stone of horror that had lodged itself in her throat, Xion barely noticed she was moving towards Sora until she was kneeling next to him. She could now see the ruin the room had been reduced to in Sora's struggle against what must've been the demon. Furniture was overturned, broken, and thrown about in haphazard ways. Decorations shattered, crushed - The walls scorched black where the demon's hellish power had struck. _

_And blood. _

_Sora's blood. _

_It was _everywhere_… _

_It stained the walls, the furniture, and the floor, in pools that had yet to set into the carpet, leaving the eternal scar of Sora's pain… The longest scar of all was the path that Sora had taken to drag himself over to the overturned sofa, the beige carpet smeared an ugly red with his blood. _

_Feeling her eyes burning with tears, Xion bit her lip to keep from breaking down right then, and she took Sora's bloodied hand into her own, trying to anchor him to life._

_Xion had to stop herself from yelling – Sora's hand was so cold!_

_Sora's body jerked at the skin-to-skin contact, moaning in pain. His eyebrows knitted together, and he seemed to be trying to concentrate. "… Xi…?" He asked, and a long, thick line of blood dribbled out of his mouth. _

_Xion choked on her words. "Yes! Yes, Sora, I'm here." Xion lightly squeezed Sora's hand, and his head flopped over, his blue eyes, now clouded over by pain, opened and gazed down at his hand in hers, almost like he was confused. Xion could feel tears running down her cheeks in great drops. "Just hold on. I'm going to call the ambulance." She whispered, knowing her voice would violently crack otherwise. _

_She tried to get up to run to the phone, but Sora held tightly to her hand, stopping her. Caught half way from standing, Xion peered down at her twin, questioning him with her eyes._

_Sora smiled weakly, and with a great deal of effort, pulled his other hand to where Xion could see it, which was on his lap. He was clutching his crown-shaped pendant as if it were his last lifeline – and for all Xion knew, it probably was. Wordlessly, Sora unclenched his fist, revealing the back of the crown shape, where Sora had etched a strange symbol into the metal. _

_Xion's eyes widened, knowing what that symbol meant. "Sora, no. The paramedics can save you! You don't have to do this! _Please_!" Xion was beyond tears now – She was downright terrified._

_She didn't want to lose her twin brother._

_If Xion hadn't been so close to him, she probably never would've heard Sora's next words. "I'm… gonn-a l-… leave… Xi… Bu' yo-… you won-n't… lose… me…" He coughed violently, blood splattering on the already stained carpet. Xion instinctively held his hand tighter. "Bu' w-we-e… don'… ha-a-ve… to… wor-ry ab-bou'… Van-i… tas… I… sea-led… him… a-… way." _

_With that, Sora pushed his pendant onto Xion's lap, where it flared with a burning white light that engulfed the entire room, which made Xion close her eyes to keep herself from going blind, before returning to its true silver color. Xion stared at the pendant for a bewildered moment, then snapped her attention back to her severely injured twin – and froze. _

_Sora was deathly still, his face peaceful, not contorted in pain like it had been before. _

"_Sora?" Xion's voice shook, and when he didn't give any response, she tried again, though more desperate. "Sora!" Still no response. _

_Quick as lightning, Xion's free hand shot up to Sora's neck, searching for his pulse. _

_One minute went by._

_Three._

_Five._

_Nothing._

_Xion paled, her entire body shaking like a leaf in a storm. She dropped her hand back to her lap, where her fingers unconsciously wrapped around Sora's crown pendant, so tightly that the sharp edges cut into her palm._

_Sora was dead… His life taken as the cost to protect The Gate._

_And, now…_

… _She was alone…_

_The terrified girl took the battered body of her twin brother into her arms, holding him tenderly, running her fingers through his bloody hair. She rocked him back and forth, her mind numb, unable to comprehend the death of her brother. Tears still poured from her eyes in a steady currant, refusing to cease. For a few blessed minutes, Xion lulled in the soft, safe womb that was unawareness. _

_Outside, rain pelted the house, filling the empty silence. _

_Then, the reality of what had just happened slammed into her. _

_Xion's terrifyingly loud screech of anguish would echo through the islands for many years to come._

**Author's Note****: Review. Please. It will make my day. **


	2. House on a Hill

**Author'sNote: Well, in this chapter I was honestly just practicing my descriptions, which I've always been weak on, but I think I did okay on this. I was also – literally – setting the stage for later on. Let me know how I did, please!**

**And, take note that there's a major time-skip between the prologue and chapter one. Like, a 30 year skip. Just letting you know incase you didn't catch on to that.**

**Also, yes, I totally stole Kairi's surname from Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach. Sue me. I like the name and I couldn't think of anything else. **

_~OoO~_

**Chapter One:**

**House on a Hill**

August 21, 2011 – Present Time

"Isn't this place wonderful, Kairi?"

Kairi Kurosaki barely acknowledged her mother as she climbed out of the car. Their family dog – a German Sheppard named Toki - jumped out behind her and ran circles around the car, making her father laugh as he went to unpack the trunk. Straightening her shirt, Kairi stood next to her mother, her indigo colored eyes staring blankly at the house in front of her.

The old, beautifully restored house was a nice, bright white, so brilliant that the island's harsh sun made the white almost blinding. The black shutters matched the dark, new roofing shingles. The wooden moldings on the porch were certainly worthy of praise, perfectly carved, and the shadows made the curving more defined. The yard was freshly cut, and a garden next to the porch had a tasteful assortment of plants, and the curved walk-way made the house's landscape pleasant to look at. And the house was very private, being surrounded by a small forest, their nearest neighbors living at least half a mile away. The house also had an amazing view of the ocean, being on one of the highest elevation points on the entire island.

It was a gorgeous, perfect house, but Kairi hated it.

The last time she'd seen the house – which had been a year ago – it had been in ruin, having no one living in it for nearly thirty years. But her parents took the challenge of restoring it to its former glory - Then decided it'd be a good idea to drag their fifteen year old daughter away from the only home she'd ever known and live in a backwater chain of islands that barely anyone had heard of.

Kairi was not at all happy.

A light nudge to her hand made Kairi jump, but she quickly realized it was Toki. The dog was staring up at Kairi with her big brown eyes, panting uncontrollably from the island's heat and humidity. Kairi stroked Toki's head, but the dog saw something in the woods and darted off, howling.

Kairi's mother cringed, holding her hair to prevent it from being tangled by the wind. "I really hope the neighbor's don't mind her barking…"

"What neighbors? There's no one here but us." Kairi spat, a little harshly.

The woman sighed, as if she was sick of playing the 'why?' game with a little kid - And she truly was. Kairi had made it very clear to her parents how much she didn't want to move to Destiny Islands. "Kairi, honey –"

"Stop, Mom." Kairi mumbled, falling back into her depressed state. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it anymore."

"Aw, c'mon, kiddo." Her father said as he closed the car's trunk, holding his wife's and daughter's suitcases. He seemed to be reading Kairi's mood well, if her hopelessly miserable expression was any indication. "I know you liked Radiant Garden, but you'll come to like Destiny Islands, too. I know you will!"

Handing Kairi her suitcase, the man tried to reassure his daughter by smiling widely – Which, if it had been any other occasion, it would have worked.

But not now.

No, Kairi felt too lost and alone for any form of comfort to work.

Taking her bag from her father, Kairi briefly glanced at her parent's encouraging expressions.

They did not sooth her.

"Yeah, whatever." She muttered under her breath. "I might as well go chose my room…" With that, she turned and walked across the lawn, to the porch, her head lowered.

The wooden steps to the porch creaked under her weight, but only slightly. Upon reaching the large oak door, Kairi grabbed onto the brass door knob, noticing how oddly cold it was – like it was melting ice. Hesitating only slightly, Kairi turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into the foyer.

The interior of the house was completely bare, allowing the newly sanded, re-stained hard wood floors to be visible. The walls were stately, the wood moldings a beautiful dark wood, and the walls a rich cream color. The ceiling of the foyer was tall, allowing enough room for the crystal chandelier that was hung in the exact center of the room. A small ways to the right was the staircase leading to the second floor, and next to it, directly in front of Kairi, was the small corridor that undoubtedly led to the kitchen, living room, and any other rooms the first floor held.

She'd explore the rest of the house later; right now she just wanted to find a place to hide in.

Bypassing the corridor, Kairi made her way up the old staircase, running her fingers along the thick, smooth stained wood of the banister. The steps looked very well worn, the edges softly rounded, and the center of each step dipped in, like a concave, but only faintly.

Hefting her suitcase over her shoulder so it was easier to carry, she reached the landing where the stairway continued to her left, a large arched window in front of her. The stairs to the left were shrouded in shadow, so Kairi couldn't see the top. Only briefly looking out the window at the forest outside, Kairi climbed the remainder of the steps, through the darkness swallowing the stairway.

Kairi learned the reason for why the stairs were so dark once she was finished climbing them. Every door in the hall was closed, with no windows to light it - The shadows were almost suffocating.

Ignoring the shudder that ran up her spine – she was never a fan of dark places - Kairi opened the door in front of her, finding it to be the bathroom, equipped with an old-styled tub and vanity to no doubt keep as much of the houses old charm as possible. There was a nice, bright window in the bathroom, which had already considerably lightened up the hallway, so Kairi left the door open to keep the suffocating shadows away.

Now, thanks to the added light, Kairi could see the rest of the hall.

It was a long, spacious corridor, the floor covered with a new, soft red carpet, and the walls were of the same woodwork and molding as the foyer. There were no lights in the hall, but an outlet in the canter of the opposite wall would most likely find itself occupied by a lamp in the near future. Only one side of the hall had doors, which was the wall directly across from the stairway, but there was a lone door at the end of the hall, which Kairi figured would be the front bedroom – she knew this because the house supposedly had three bedrooms, and since the first door had been the bathroom, Kairi assumed the rest were the bedrooms.

Not really thinking, Kairi made her way to the front room, noticing how plush the carpet under her feet was. It felt like she was walking on a cloud! Despite her solemn mood, she couldn't help but smile faintly. Funny how an unusually soft carpet could cheer someone up…

Reaching the door to the front room, Kairi curled her fingers around the cool brass knob – and felt comforting warmth wash throughout her entire being, body, soul, and mind, and Kairi knew she had found her safe haven.

She turned the knob, pushing the door open, and took in the sight of the room.

It was fairly large, and the stained oak flooring made the room look enormously empty and cold, but there was still an obvious feeling of tranquility and warmth within it, so Kairi completely dismissed the large void-like emptiness of the room – it'd be filled with her furniture and belongings soon, anyway, and she could always get a nice big rug to cover the bare floor. The walls were not as glamorous as the hall and foyer, but a rather simple dark cream color, which accented the white ceiling and baseboard. Kairi liked the paint choice – it was a soothing color, she thought. Not too bold, but not too boring, which she thought was perfect.

What Kairi noticed next was the rather larger window seat that served as the only second floor front window. The seat was of the same stained oak as the floor, and despite it being newly stained, Kairi could tell it had been someone's favorite seat in the past, as it was slightly concaved in the center. Kairi crossed the room to the window, her footsteps echoing in the empty room.

Kairi could see why this seat had been favored once she was close enough to actually see out the window – there was an absolutely perfect view of the ocean, and the little island valley where the main town of Destiny Islands was nestled. Even though Kairi hated the idea of living here, she couldn't deny that she loved the ocean, so having an ocean view perked up her spirit – but only slightly.

Dropping her suitcase onto the floor with a _thud_ that reverberated off the bare walls, Kairi flopped down onto the smooth, soft wooden seat, gathering her legs and huddling in the corner, gazing unseeingly out at the mass of blue, sparkling water.

Dusk was settling in on the islands, casting a misty grey to the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon and stars rose to take its place in lighting the world with their ethereal sliver glow.

And that's when Kairi began to cry.

She was completely, utterly, _alone_ and she felt like her woes would soon swallow up her heart and leave her in her own, desolate, terrible world of cold isolation.

She didn't completely understand why she felt they way she did – completely hopeless, like a vital part of her being had been ripped away from her. But she knew that she felt so out of place on these islands that she couldn't seem to drag herself out of the darkness of her own emotions. And it was quite frightening to Kairi.

She was also extremely worried about being 'different' to the kids of Destiny Islands, and, thus, she'd be ignored. She was never able to truly fit in at Radiant Garden, and she had lived her entire life there. It was because she was 'different' and all the other people – besides her parents – avoided her like she was the plague.

And she hadn't the slightest clue why.

Now, Destiny Islands was more than likely to treat her in the same way.

At least in Radiant Garden, she was _familiar_ with the people's odd looks and polite but rushed excuses for 'not being able to talk to her', as they usually said.

Why was she so hated – Feared?

Whimpering, Kairi hugged her knees tighter, squinted her eyes as a torrent of tears ran down her cheeks, falling off her chin and hitting her knees.

The sound of claws softly scratching on the wood floor startled Kairi. Her head snapped up, her auburn hair clinging to her wet, tear stained cheeks. A small, tear-choked smile spread across her face when she saw Toki standing in the open doorway, tentatively peering into the room. Picking her hair from her face, Kairi released her legs, sitting Indian-style now.

Patting her lap, Kairi called to the happy German Sheppard. "C'mere, Toki."

With that, Toki shot across the room, her nails slipping on the slick wood, so it more or less looked like she was running on ice. Then, she launched herself onto the window seat, her tail wagging energetically. So Toki wouldn't fall off, Kairi pushed the big dog down, where Toki promptly laid her head in Kairi's lap, her tail thumbing on the seat with a continual rhythm.

Absentmindedly stroking the dog's head, Kairi let her eyes wander out the window, staring dully at the dark night sky, the ocean looking like a crystal mirror to the silvery stars, and she suddenly wished those gentle waves could carry her to their watery depths, where she'd be safe from the harsh judgment of people.

Kairi dreaded the day she'd start at Destiny Islands High School.

_**~OoO~**_

Cloaked in the midnight gloom of the island forest, a figure stalked menacingly through the trees, not making a single sound, like it wasn't even real – Like it truly was just a shadow. The darkness seemed to swirl around it, like the figure itself was attracting the dark, sucking it in, making it part of its being; but for what purposes, not even the shadows knew.

This dark figure didn't cease its shapeless walk, gobbling up more shadow as it went, until it came to the edge of the forest, where a beautiful white house sat in the cleared lot, bathing in the loathsome moon light.

The figure couldn't risk exposure to the silvery luminosity – it wasn't strong enough yet – but soon, oh soon, it would be able to free its kin from his prison, and they'd then be strong enough to manipulate the oh-so lovely girl who now lived there, unsuspecting, untrained, and so hopelessly vulnerable.

Unlike the last Necromancer they'd tried to use.

From inside the house, it could hear the feral barking of a dog, angry, threatening, and protective – the stupid animal could probably feel the figure's evil power, as well as see its dark silhouette at the edge of the trees. But it didn't pay the dog any mind – The figure couldn't be hurt by it, anyway.

Its cloaked head looked up at the bright moon, scowling, then a demonic grin spread across its dark face, its sharp, nightmarish teeth frightfully visible. Molten, evil gold flashed in its eyes momentarily, before returning to a dead black void.

Finished with its inspection, it slipped back into the darkness, where it would nurse its strength until its and its kin could bring their plan to fruition.

The Gate _would_ be opened.

**Author'sNote: I wanted to get this out sooner, but I got a job that I had to work nearly every day for an entire month for training – Thank God I'm not working that much anymore! - and I had to do my college apps, and life in general, so I couldn't get it done as fast as I'd hoped. But it's here now!**

… **But I seriously think I'm getting rusty because I haven't been writing that much lately… **

**So, what did you think? Push the review button. You know you want to! **


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